ExperimentNo.

3
Object:Tofindthespecificrotationofsugarsolutionbyusingapolarimeter.
ApparatusUsed:Polarimeter,abalance,measuringcylinder,beakerandasourceoflight.(Sodium
lampforhalfshadepolarimeterandordinarybulbormercurylampforbiquartzpolarimeter.)
FormulaUsed:Thespecificrotationoftheplaneofpolarizationofsugardissolvedinwatercanbe
determinedbythefollowingformula,
.

.
.
Where, =rotationproducedindegrees.
=lengthofthetubeindecimeter.
= / =concentrationofsugarsolution.
=massofsugaringramsdissolvedinwater.
=volumeofsugarsolution.
Procedure:Withthehalfshadeamonochromaticsourceandwithbiquartzwhitelightcanbeused.
Takethepolarimetertubeandcleanwellboththesidessuchthatitisfreefromdust.Nowfill
the tube with pure water and see that no air bubble is enclosed in it. Place the tube in its
positioninsidethepolarimeter.Switchonthesourceoflightandlookthroughtheeyepiece.
Incaseofhalfshadepolarimeter,twohalvesofunequalintensityisobserved.Lefthalfmaybe
brightandtherighthalfmaybedark,or viceversa.Byrotatingtheanalyzereyepiecesystem,
the brightdark pair gets interchanged to darkbright pair, or vice versa. Rotate the analyzer
(first in clockwise direction and then in anticlockwise direction) until the intensity of two
halvesisabouttointerchangedandcircularfieldofviewappearsequallybright.
Incaseofbiquartzpolarimeterwefindtwohalvesofdifferentcolours,oneredandotherblue.
Byrotatingtheanalyzereyepiecesystem,thecolourpairgetsinterchanged.Letusselectapair
of different colour, say red and blue. By rotating the analyzer scale, the colour pair can be
interchange to blue and red. At the position of interchange, the two colours can be mixed by
rotatingtheanalyzer(firstin clockwisedirectionandtheninanticlockwisedirection),sothat
circularfieldofviewappearsgrayinsteadoftwohalvesofredandblue.
Take the first reading at equal intensity position (either bright or gray) and also record the
second reading at 180 apart from this position, in both the directions (clockwise and
anticlockwise).Findthemeanoftwodirectionsreadingseparatelyforboththeposition.
Prepareasugarsolutionofknownstrengthbydissolvingtheknownamountofsugar(say10
gm)into100mlofwater.Takethepolarimetertubeandremovethepurewater.Fillitwiththe
preparedsugarsolutionandagainplaceitinthepolarimeter.
Rotate the analyzer eyepiece system to obtain the equal intensity position, first in clockwise
directionandtheninanticlockwisedirection.Notedownthefirstpositionoftheanalyzerscale
inthetwodirections.Findthemeanreading.Repeatsimilarly,forsecondpositionat180apart.
Thedifferencebetweenwaterandsugarsolutionreadinggivesthespecificrotation.
Theexperimentcanberepeatedwithsugarsolutionsofdifferentconcentrations.
Measurethelengthofthetubeincentimetersandchangeitindecimeters.

HalfShadeor
Biquartzdevice
Polarimetertube
Eyepiece

Light
Source
Lens

Analyzer

Polarizer

Figure1:Arrangementinsidethepolarimeter.
Observations:Roomtemperature=...C
(A)Preparationofsugarsolution:
Massofwatchglass=gm=kg
Watchglass+sugar=gm=.kg
Thereforemassofsugartaken, =.gm=kg
VolumeofthesolutionV=....ml=.c.c.
Concentrationofthesolution = / =gm/c.c.=...kg/m3
Lengthofthepolarimetertube =.cm=.decimeter
(B)Tablesforthedeterminationofspecificrotation:
Valueofonedivisionofthemainscale=.
No.ofdivisiononvernierscale=.
Leastcountofvernier=
WithWater
S.No

AnalyzersreadingforIposition
Clockwise
Anticlockwise
Mean
MS VS T(a) MS VS T(a)

AnalyzersreadingforIIposition
Clockwise
Anticlockwise
Mean
MS VS T(b) MS VS T(b)

1
2
3

Mean,A

Mean,B

WithSugarSolutionofconcentration..
S.No

AnalyzersreadingforIposition
Clockwise
Anticlockwise
Mean
MS VS T(c) MS VS T(c)

AnalyzersreadingforIIposition
Clockwise
Anticlockwise
Mean
MS VS T(d) MS VS T(d)

Mean,C

MS=MainScaleReading,VS=VernierScaleReading,T=MS+VS=TotalReading.

Mean,D


Calculation:Accordingtotheanalyzersreading;
ForIposition,rotationproducedbysugarsolution,
ForIIposition,rotationproducedbysugarsolution,

Thus,themeanrotationproducedbycanesugarsolution,

2
Then,thespecificrotationofthecanesugarsolution,
.

Result:Atatemperature..Candwavelength..;
Thespecificrotationforcanesugarsolution=.
StandardValueofspecificrotationforcanesugarsolution=.
PercentageError=..%.
SourcesoferrorandPrecautions:
(i) Thepolarimetertubeshouldbewellcleaned.
(ii) Waterusedshouldbedustfree.
(iii) Wheneverasolutionischanged,rinsethetubewiththenewsolutionunderexamination.
(iv) Thereshouldbenoairbubbleinsidethetube.
(v) Thepositionofanalyzershouldbesetaccurately.
(vi) Thetemperatureandwavelengthoflightusedshouldbestated.
(vii) Readingshouldbetakenwhenhalvesofthefieldofviewbecomesequallyilluminated.